


Six

by MatrixCube



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Dating, Fluff and Angst, Frottage, Jealousy, M/M, POV Alternating, Time Travel, there will be several Shadow fights and also Izanami, velvet room
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2018-05-29 00:17:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6351286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MatrixCube/pseuds/MatrixCube
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Yosuke Hanamura comes to Inaba and stumbles into a murder investigation with supernatural elements, he can't help but wonder. Why is Souji so strong, and such a good leader? Why does he claim to be from the future? But there is no time for wondering, because everything is going downhill fast.</p><p>(This story follows the game's events with little alterations.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. ONE

**Author's Note:**

  * For [andthenabanana (bananaandthena)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bananaandthena/gifts).



> I think it's almost 2 years by now... andthenabanana posted an idea into the Souyo tag on tumblr and I wanted to write something for it - so I did in August 2015, I also did a bunch of art and such for a small Visual Novel  but it's not finished yet, bc my art sucks big time. Anyways, it's different from andthenabanana's idea, so I'm sorry for that... I hope you enjoy it anyway.

[Timeline 1]

The train is almost empty, the sound of the metal clanging on the railway has lulled his mind for hours now. There’s an advertisement with curly letters at the door of the rail car.

“Time does not change us. It just unfolds us.”

Yosuke rolls his eyes. What a pretentious quote.

His mind wanders elsewhere - to his new life in a town called Yasoinaba. His parents had just opened a store there, and he had to change schools during spring break. All of his stuff is already in their new home. His parents told him a bit about the city; well, ‘city’ isn’t the right word. It’s a lame town in the boonies, where all the kids go to the same school, and old people spy on others from behind their curtains all the time. Great.

He thinks back to his friends he's leaving behind. There weren’t many, but he just said goodbye to them this morning, and now he’s sitting on the train, and isn’t that the weirdest feeling ever to step over like that into a new life within a day?

Yosuke is bored enough to actually start counting the trees passing by- or rather the ones the train passing by, music blasting out of his headphones. The brunette has to admit that it feels kinda weird to see his parents again in a new house in a new town with new faces everywhere. He wonders what kind of people would await him.

It will probably be fairly easy to impress them with his stories and fashionable clothes from the big city. He would definitely become one of the popular kids for a change. He has never been bullied or anything and he also had a fair share of friends back at his old school, yeah, but he wasn’t deemed “super cool” or anything, just ordinary. 

“Next stop: Yasoinaba. Next stop: Yasoinaba. Please check for any remaining valuables you might leave behind.”

\--

“Persona!”

The first time he summons Jiraiya feels amazing. Energy surges through him, thrumming in every fiber of his being, and it suppresses the grief over Saki’s death for one glorious moment of self-reflection.

“This… is part of me?”

Jiraiya looks like he’s straight out of some comic book, and he’d almost be hilarious if he weren’t real. As real as the card he’s holding in his clammy hands. Yosuke doesn’t really know about Tarot, but he recognizes The Magician.

Teddie snaps out of his awe. “Yes! It’s your Persona, Yosuke!” he chirps.

The voice inside of his head feels like his own, only stronger, and rich with possibilities. Yosuke breathes out, and almost cries of relief.

“You did it,” Souji says, collected as ever, even after that hellish fight against this huge… Shadow thing. His own Shadow.

And Souji, the new guy, stood up to it like it was nothing. Stood up for him, a guy he knows for a few days. Maybe Souji just defended himself. Maybe he’s good-natured like that. Maybe this is the start of an epic friendship.

Yosuke stands up, goosebumps hidden under his school uniform. This is incredible. Amazing, even.

And definitely a welcomed distraction that will make this boring life in the boonies interesting.

\--

“I… wanted to thank you guys. For rescuing Yukiko. And for rescuing me.”

Chie tries her hardest to look at the two surprised faces of her new friends, but fails miserably. Usually, she isn’t so skittish, and Yosuke is more surprised by her honesty than by her confession. He’s known her for a few months now, and this new side of her is putting him off.

“If it hadn’t been for you, we wouldn’t have rescued Yukiko-san,” Souji says, smiling at her. “You don’t have to thank us.”

Yosuke waves it off. “So, does that mean Chie’s gonna be a part of the team now, leader?”

Souji laughs wholeheartedly like Yosuke cracked a really good joke. He notices them staring at him, and clears his throat. “Sure, why not. If you’re up for it, Chie?”

“Of course! I’ve always wanted to go with you guys! And now that I’ve got my own Persona, I’m totally on board with kicking Shadow’s butts!” she beams. “Finally, I can try out some new moves - this is gonna be great! And with you as our leader, nothing can go wrong.”

“Leader…?” Souji smiles again. “Are you sure?”

“Of course!”

“Chie’s right. You got your Persona first and didn’t even have to fight your own Shadow,” Yosuke says. “And you’ve led us through Yukiko-san’s castle in one piece.”

It’s a deal. Yosuke and Chie chat away, remembering how awesome (and close) their fight against Yukiko’s Shadow was, not noticing the fond expression on Souji’s face. The school bell rings and disrupts their lunch on the rooftop.

“We’re gonna do great!” Yosuke grins, putting an arm around Souji.

Souji grins, too, a blush creeping onto his cheeks.

\--

They know it’s a serial killer. A real murder case.

People are killed by some supernatural source when they are thrown into the TV during rainy days. As fantastic as that sounds, the reality of it is still giving Yosuke and the new-formed Investigation Team the chills.

They don’t know who is targeted, they don’t know how they can stop the culprit from killing. All they know is they have to rescue the victims on time, before the fog sets in. It’s a lot of pressure, and Yosuke notices Souji always fiddling with some piece of paper.

“Hey, you okay there, partner?”

Souji flinches. “Yeah, sure.”

“You’re looking out of it. Kinda gloomy.”

Before any of the girls can pick up on it, Souji stands up. “I suppose I’m not well. Can you accompany me home, Yosuke?”

Surprise blooms on Yosuke’s face, making him gape like a fish for a second. “Y-yeah, no problem!” And why the hell does he blush right now? It’s not that Souji requested anything weird!

Yukiko smiles after them. “Get well soon, Seta-kun.”

“And behave, Yosuke!” Chie laughs, and Yosuke really wants to kick her now.

He pushes Souji out of their headquarters (yes, it’s just the Junes food court), not commenting on Chie’s jab.

“What was she--”

“Nothing!”, Yosuke interrupts, trying to stifle down his embarrassment. Oh god, why did he talk with Chie about this? Okay, he didn’t actually tell her about his small man-crush on Souji, but she figured it out on her own pretty fast. Telling her that he’s not gay and only interested in girls just made her laugh even more. What a friend.

They’re on their way to the Dojima residence, and Yosuke’s face doesn’t feel as hot anymore.

Souji is uncharacteristically quiet. “Sorry to drag you into this.”

“Don’t worry, I didn’t have any plans for today, anyway.”

Souji sighs. “I mean… Everything. Involving you in this Persona business and all.”

“You mean, because I didn’t show up on TV?” Yosuke asks wearily. Where is this suddenly coming from?

Souji shakes his head, deep in thought. “No. I didn’t want to involve you in this, because I know it’s dangerous. I don’t want to force anyone to help me out.”

“You didn’t force me, man, or Chie, or Yukiko-san,” Yosuke smiles. “You were there with us when we were facing our ugliest sides… Ugh, I don’t want to think about it, I was awful.”

The corners of Souji’s mouth twitch. “Everyone has a dark side to them. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

Yosuke groans. That’s so typical of him - but he doesn’t say it. “Well, YOU don’t have a dark side, apparently. You just summoned your Persona out of nowhere, and kicked ass! It was impressive.”

“That was because-- Forget about it.”

“Hm? What is it?”

Souji opens his mouth as if he wants to add something, but decides against it. “Thank you. For believing in me.”

“Oh come on, why are you always so polite?” Yosuke scratches his cheek in embarrassment.

“No, I mean it. You’re the closest friend I have. And I don’t mean in Inaba. You’re the closest friend I’ve ever had.”

The truth comes easily for Souji, and yet it’s almost cheesy. How can a guy like him say something like that? Yosuke doesn’t know what to say.

Souji picks something from his pocket. It’s a folded orange paper, the one he’s always fiddling with. Yosuke notices the wistful look. “I want you to have this.”

Yosuke accepts the paper with a frown. There are notes on it, some scratched out, and names that sound familiar. But who are the others?

“Kanji, Rise, Naoto… What is this, Souji?”

But Souji doesn’t answer, just gestures him to keep it. “Can I tell you something?”

“Sure.”

It takes a few moments till Souji finds the right words. Yosuke doesn’t press.

Souji releases a deep breath he’s been holding. “Whew, okay… How do I put this… I think I might know who the culprit is. -It’s just a hunch, really, but… I think it might be two culprits. One of them is the mailman who delivers the parcels, and the other… is my uncle’s co-worker, Adachi-san.”

\--

They agree to turn in anonymous hints to the police, instead of accusing a police officer of murder - Dojima works even more than usual now, and Souji and his friends have an eye on the happenings on the Midnight Channel.

They still train in the TV World, though. In case something might happen. They also help an angry guy named Kanji out driving away some hooligans. He’s an odd type, Yosuke thinks, but apparently a good guy at heart.

Souji takes care of Nanako a lot; Yosuke often stops by to cook with them after his shifts in Junes. Sometimes Souji takes off later to do part-time jobs, when Nanako is going off to bed. Yosuke notices the small changes in Souji: He’s becoming more outgoing, more self-assured, and charming. He’s almost perfect. Damn. It gives Yosuke a hard time dealing with certain situations (like that one time when they were watching TV with Nanako, and Souji begged him with just his eyes to stay the night. He couldn’t say no).

The news report that the local police department apparently had some sort of break-through; the whole team is meeting up with Teddie, trying to talk him into leaving the TV World with little success.

Then a pop idol in possible retirement comes into town - Souji makes friends with her pretty easily, and it’s almost scary how familiar they are with each other after only two weeks. Yosuke tries to stifle his jealousy.

It’s actually during the Culture Festival when everything narrows down to it; Yosuke strolls through the halls, because their Dating Café hasn’t opened yet. The other classes have the usual displays, a horror house, fortune telling. He’s passing the class displays on the first floor, when someone calls out to him. Rise waves at him, chatting about her class’ display, and being actually friendly, but Yosuke can’t help himself but feel a little bitter. Her sparkling personality is charming enough to get any guy she wants, and yet she tries to date Souji. Maybe they are already dating? Yosuke doesn’t know for sure, even though Souji and him are best friends. He didn’t follow her monologue, and is starstruck when she grabs his arm and looks at him sternly.

“You have to give it your all... The best you have,” she says. “I know you’re not the most assertive guy - so I’m gonna tell you now: I’m pretty sure you’ll have a chance if you decide to go after Souji-senpai. So, do it.”

He’s still trying to process it when she shoves him into his classroom where Chie almost kicks his ass for showing up too late. There’s a stream of thoughts in his head, screaming, panicking, flailing, and Yosuke can’t calm down.

In the end, the whole dating thing was a disaster. (Though the Beauty Pageant was even more embarrassing.)

Sighing, Yosuke tries to get the strawberry clip out of his hair. They are on their way home, and thankfully all the makeup is already gone, and clothes changed. The girls are still giggling to themselves, and Kanji asks Rise if he can borrow the dress. Yosuke certainly doesn’t want to deal with any more of this.

“I still can’t believe you won this stupid contest, partner,” Yosuke huffs, finally getting rid of the clip.

Souji chuckles, still wearing the braids. “You had no chance, I was too pretty. Still am.”

“Damn right!” Chie laughs from behind them.

Yosuke just rolls his eyes, and keeps to himself that Souji really did look good. And a bit intimidating. “You did a good job, Yukiko.”

“Thanks, Yosuke-kun.”

Their idle chatting comes to a halt when Souji takes Yosuke’s hands, slowing down. It’s all very sudden for Yosuke, and he blinks at his friend, who doesn’t need to gather any courage, because he’s brave enough.

He asks Yosuke out on a date.

Their friends hoot and clap so loudly that someone yells to be quiet, because ‘it’s already noon, you hooligans’. Kanji gives them a piece of his mind in colorful words.

Of course Yosuke says yes.

\--

Dating isn’t any different from hanging out like usual. It’s just that Yosuke is much more focused on every touch, every glance, and everything that could drive Souji away. Thank god they already know each other so well.

Yosuke gets to know Dojima better, since he’s home more, now that the police made arrests, and everything else was just paperwork according to him. Ever the detective, Dojima asks them about their relationship one evening, and Souji looks at Yosuke, letting him decide.

“I guess we’re… in a relationship,” he says, surprising himself.

It’s the day Yosuke learns that Souji has dimples when he smiles.

\--

They didn’t fight for a long time, but Yosuke feels the familiar feeling he gets when he’s in the TV World, except he’s not there. He feels a reassuring arm on his, and remembers.

He’s sleeping over at Souji’s. Does that mean he’s dreaming right now?

“That is correct.”

There’s a woman and a long-nosed man sitting across from them.

“Welcome to the Velvet Room. How may I be of assistance today?”

“This is the one you have chosen, then?” the woman asks, smiling at Yosuke.

Souji nods, taking Yosuke’s hand.

The long-nosed man chuckles. “Well then.” He extends his hand, which has oddly long fingers, too, and conjures a card out of nowhere. Yosuke recognizes it; it’s the one he summons during their fights.

Bright light engulfs everything for a moment, making Yosuke squint. His card is shining golden now; dissolving when it touches Yosuke’s palm.

“What…?”

The woman shuts her book gently. “Our guest decided to link his subconscious with yours. As a Wild Card, he is capable of sharing his subconscious with different contract partners, his Personae. He is also capable of sharing it with different Social Links he has. That is a conscious decision, and not undertaken lightly. You two now share the same abilities, and even more. Nobody I ever encountered wanted to contract another Social Link, so it’s also a mystery to me what consequences this bond will have.”

Yosuke blinks, because the edge of his vision starts to blur.

“You are awakening - we are awaiting your return.”

Souji’s room is tinted in light and soft colors. Apparently, the sun is rising. Yosuke rolls onto his back, painfully aware of Souji’s arm on his stomach.

Before he can ask what this was all about, Souji rolls on top of him, kissing the light out of him.

Everything is spinning inside of Yosuke’s mind, and he’s breathing heavily when they break apart. Souji’s panting in his ear, and oh god, this isn’t happening--

“Yosuke, you have to listen to me.”

The urgency in Souji’s voice kills his boner a little. “W-what?”

“I’m from the future.”

\--

It’s almost spring again. Soon a year will have passed, and everything is just fine. It really is. Except it’s not.

They unraveled the truth. The truth behind the kidnappings, the truth behind the TV World. Everything broke down.

Izanami-no-Okami is strong, fierce, and smashes them to a pulp. She wants to cover everything in fog, to take humanity’s freedom of choice, and they have to do SOMETHING.

Yosuke can hear the cries of his friends in the darkness, screaming for their leader - he reaches out just in time to grab Souji’s hand.

“Yosuke, please--” Souji’s whole body is already swallowed by the darkness, but Yosuke won’t let go.

“Don’t you dare let go, Souji!”

There is fear in Souji’s eyes, and it squeezes Yosuke’s chest even tighter. “Yosuke, you have to jump! Please!”

Their grip is slipping, the darkness is too strong.

“Please, do it for me, Yosuke, I’m not strong enough - my bonds of heart aren’t strong enough, you have to go back and tell me to--”

His face is pulled back harshly, and Yosuke cries out his partner’s name.

“Yosuke, I love you, please--”

The pressure on his chest is unbearable, his fingers feel weak. He knows what he has to do.

He summons his card, and closes his eyes.


	2. TWO

[Timeline 2]

When he opens his eyes, everything looks different. Not really different, but the setting is different. He’s no longer crowded in darkness, no, there’s light and he’s at the food court of Junes, sitting at a table with Chie and… Souji.

“You promised me steak, you cheapskate!” Chie yells loud enough so that a few customers look their way.

Yosuke tries to keep up with his surroundings, and also to figure out where the heck he actually is. A familiar face finally lets everything fall into place.

“Oh, Saki-senpai!” he calls out, afraid she’s someone else.

But the girl turns around, recognizing him. “Hi Hana-chan,” she waves, trotting over.

With Saki-senpai alive, and Chie and Souji at this table (without Yukiko or the others), it’s dawning to him that he actually jumped back in time. A chill creeps down his back. He really made it. He looks over to Souji, who looks kinda uncomfortable, and feels his heart aching. Yes, he’s at the beginning again.

The urge to hug Souji, making sure everything is alright, is overwhelming. He doesn’t do it, though.

\--

Yosuke quickly learns that Souji is different from before. More introverted. Reserved. Stoic. It doesn’t prevent him from becoming friends with him.

Of course he drags Souji along with him. He feels kinda bad for throwing him off guard like that, but he knows what to do: They need to get into the TV World as fast as possible, and rescue Saki-senpai.

This time, everything will be different.

\--

Everything is pretty much the same, Yosuke thinks.

Souji’s amazing as ever as he summons his Persona for the first time. It’s making Yosuke almost nostalgic. They even manage to rescue Saki-senpai - even though she doesn’t accept her Shadow after they defeated it. Yosuke’s never seen what happened in this case, but now he knows. It dissolved into black smoke, leaving them behind with a sad smile. It leaves a bad taste in Yosuke’s mouth, but they’ve rescued Saki-senpai, and so return back home.

When Yukiko appears on the Midnight Channel in her pink dress, all Yosuke can think about is the two names Souji told him. The ones behind all this. A mail guy and Dojima’s co-worker, Adachi-san. He really wants to bust them right fucking now, because it’s disgusting to play with people’s lives like that.

He calls Souji, and waits. The orange paper is still in his pocket. He knows he will use his knowledge for good this time. He came back to ensure that Souji’s bonds became strong enough to beat Izanami in the end. That’s all that matters.

For now, he has time.

\--

“I… wanted to thank you guys. For rescuing Yukiko. And for rescuing me.”

Yosuke is glad they’ve made it this time, because it had been somehow harder to beat Yukiko’s Shadow, and this wasn’t supposed to happen. He still has back pain from that one knockdown.

Of course Chie and Yukiko are all for it. They’re training a lot until everyone is exhausted in a good way. They smile at each other when they part at the entrance of Junes. Souji’s doing a great job as their leader, and Yosuke’s optimistic.

Until Kanji appears on a rainy night on the TV screen.

Shit, he totally forgot about that. Last time, they’ve met and helped Kanji before he showed up. Why is he showing up now? Yosuke frowns at the ridiculous spot of Kanji’s ‘men’s only’ bathhouse. It’s making him slightly uncomfortable. (He’s been, and still is, in love with a guy. But it hasn’t been this… weird.)

\--

This is all new.

“Yuki-chan is unconscious!”

“I KNOW, Ted!” Yosuke shouts, searching his pockets for any reviving item. Panic makes his pulse flutter.

The sweaty guys with their stupid grin make their move, and knock Chie down, too. Yosuke dodges them luckily.

“We have to retreat, Yosuke!” There’s a bead of sweat rolling down Souji’s temple.

“But--”

“We can’t make it! I can knock him down one more time; and I still have one Goho-M. Take Chie, I get Yukiko and we’re out of here!”

Shadow Kanji’s laugh is booming. “Time to show you everything I got, baby!”

Souji summons his Persona, knocking the big boss down. “Now!”

Yosuke sprints over to Chie, getting a hold of her arm. Through the blinding light of their escape, Yosuke sees Kanji’s body lying unconsciously on the sidelines.

It’s the worst feeling ever.

\--

Doubts cloud his thoughts the days after. They couldn’t rescue Kanji. They couldn’t watch the report on ‘another victim found hanging upside down from a telephone pole’, and Yosuke doesn’t know if this is how it’s supposed to be.

Does Souji need Kanji’s bond?

Yosuke worries his lip with his teeth, trying to listen to the lecture. Kanji’s been a friend. Not in this timeline, but he’s been a friend nonetheless.

The feeling of failure sinks deeper into his bones.

\--

Teddie surprises them the most. He somehow grew a human body, and fights now alongside their group - Rise’s a great supporter, Yosuke thinks. (She didn’t get a Persona last time, and it’s almost sad; her skill is extraordinary.)

Ted lives with him now, and it’s making his life more turbulent than ever. They both visit Souji and Nanako a lot, and the butterflies in Yosuke’s stomach are partying hard. Yosuke treasures his friendship with Souji, and doesn’t make a move. He supports his friend in finding new friends, doing part-time work, and club activities.

Who still irritates him is this detective boy who has to nose around in their business. His name is ‘Naoto Shirogane’, and Yosuke’s sure he’s read that name somewhere. He can’t remember. All he wants is to shut Naoto and his ‘this is no playground for people like you’ speeches up.

All the more surprising is the boy’s appearance on the Midnight Channel a week later. Of course they’ll rescue him.

\--

It bursts out of him after the Beauty Pageant.

“I love you, Souji. Would you like to go on a date with me?”

Excitement and nostalgia have raged within him every day, building up. Yosuke clearly remembers Souji’s hands on his when he asked him out on a date… He knows he has to try it again.

The sudden confession is even bigger news than Naoto apparently being a girl - Rise’s shrieking and Chie’s low whistle make Yosuke blush.

Souji stares at him like he’s grown a second head, and laughs. “Of course!”

The happy twinkle in Souji’s eyes tells him that this is going to work out.

\--

“Welcome to the Velvet Room.”

The woman and the long-nosed man are there again, and they introduce themselves this time. Yosuke squirms in his seat, because Margaret is staring at him intently. Do they remember him?

“My, my. Isn’t that interesting…?” Igor chuckles, eyeing Yosuke’s card with a glint in his eyes. “Are you sure you want to link with your Magician?”

Souji nods. “Yes.”

“Well, then.”

When Yosuke slowly wakes up, he rolls over to kiss Souji. He knows what to do now. They almost made it.

Everything’s going to be fine.

\--

Their team is better prepared this time. Yosuke made sure to stock up on supplies, and even read about the goddess Izanami appearing in folklore. Since Souji wields Izanagi, it’s possible that he needs him to strike her down.

He almost forgot how terrifying she is. Her body’s rotten, almost death-ridden. Her laughter pierces through his bones.

"You cannot defeat me with strength alone. Soon, you will understand."

Darkness as thick as liquid covers them, dragging everyone of his friend’s into the unknown.

“Oh no--”

“Argh! Yukiko!”

Yosuke tries his best to calm down, to focus on Souji who holds their fates in his hands. He grabs his arm, pulling him as close as he can. “Listen to me, Souji… You have to defeat her. You wield Izanagi’s power!”

Souji’s eyes are unfocused. “I-- know, there are voices-- I can’t--”

He can feel the darkness squeezing the air out of his lungs. “Concentrate, partner, you can do this!”

“I know I have to-- But I don’t have enough--”

Ice blossoms in his heart. “It’s not enough?” he asks weakly, his vision blurring.

“I can’t summon Izanagi-no-Okami, I can’t…”

Souji squeezes Yosuke’s hand. Yosuke doesn’t feel it anymore. He has failed.

He has failed.

Before the darkness takes Souji away, Yosuke summons his card with determination.


	3. THREE

“You didn’t eat anything,” Souji says, drawing Yosuke’s attention to him.

Right. Everything has reset like a video game. He’s at the beginning again, and Souji’s not really an outgoing guy. And certainly not in love with him. (Yet. Yosuke wonders when Souji actually falls in love with him.)

“Oh hey, isn’t that Saki-senpai?”

Yosuke can’t hide his surprise. He’s travelled back that far? He’s at the same starting point as last time? He waves Saki over, and wonders if he can rescue her this time, too.

\--

With Souji’s help, he can. But she refuses to accept her Shadow again, and Yosuke wonders why she can’t accept something that is part of her. Maybe he’s been mistaken about her. He remembers being into her the first time (before he jumped two times - jeez, this is getting hard to keep track of, better make a note later, Yosuke thinks), and admiring her… But now all he can see is a weak girl who can’t stay true to herself, and he almost pities her.

Souji’s hand on his shoulder is reassuring. He probably thinks he’s mourning her. “At least she’s alive.”

Yosuke can’t look at her. “Yeah.”

\--

School is actually getting easier - even someone like him understands a lecture after hearing it the third time. Chie’s suspicious (“Since when are you the smart one, huh?”), but he shrugs it off, bringing the focus back on the task at hand: rescuing Kanji.

Yosuke knows how strong Kanji’s Shadow is going to be, and he wants to be prepared. He won’t leave him behind like last time. They stalk Kanji to get some info about him, and the second-hand embarrassment of Kanji’s awkward behavior around Naoto is almost too much to handle. At least Naoto’s already in Inaba, too.

\--

Things go the their way, and Yosuke does his best to support their leader in every way: Stocking up items, looking for part-time jobs, lending an ear when he needs to talk. All is going smoothly. Almost.

It’s just that previous events blur together in his memories.

“Don’t you keep your soda in the fridge anymore?” Yosuke asks one day, sweat making his T-shirt cling to his body. The summer heat is unbearable.

Souji dodges Teddie and Nanako on his way from the porch to the kitchen. “Soda? We never have soda in the house.”

Yosuke frowns. Right. They bought soda when they already sold out the mail guy and Adachi to the police, and he started hanging around Dojima’s house.

He eyes Souji, who frowns at him. Did he notice something was off?

Thankfully, an obnoxious bear cuts the tension. “Yosuke~ I want some watermelon!” Teddie cries.

\--

Their team consists of the usual eight faces now, and Yosuke wonders when he should drop hints about the culprits.

The Culture Festival is a welcome distraction, and of course he signs up the girls, because it was fun the last two times, and sometimes he doesn’t (want to) learn. Plus, he really wants to ask Souji one more time.

Even though he doesn’t ask him. Not really. They’re standing behind the stage, just waiting for their cue, when Yosuke notices the light striking Souji’s features beautifully. The butterflies in his stomach become rampant, and within a split second, Yosuke decides to grab Souji by his collar, and kisses the living daylights out of him.

“Yosuke, what--”

“I love you”, he breathes.

When Souji smiles back at him, he’s the happiest person in the world.

\--

When Yosuke wakes up after meeting Igor and Margaret again, he feels great. Everything is going according to plan. If they kept this up, they’d beat Izanami for sure this time.

Souji’s on him, all warm body and battle-shaped muscles, and Yosuke’s kind of high on happiness. This couldn’t get any better. It’s all he ever wanted.

The confession of his powers are on the tip of his tongue, and Yosuke inhales sharply when there’s a hand on his hip, fingers digging dangerously low.

Yosuke suppresses a moan. “Souji--”

“Hm?”

“I gotta tell you something…”

Souji frowns, hand still on Yosuke’s hips. “...You don’t want this?”

“No, no, I do, it’s just--” Yosuke’s trying to connect words, and it’s too hard, so he pulls Souji in again for a kiss. “I’m from the future,” he murmurs against Souji’s lips.

Souji’s eyes widen. Yosuke holds his gaze. He wants him to know how serious he is, but the blaring alarm destroys the mood, and makes both boys flinch.

\--

Everything goes to shit the next day.

The mailman, Namatame, went crazy, and Yosuke didn’t anticipate this.

Souji’s calm demeanor falls with Nanako’s panicked screaming, and the fight against Namatame’s Shadow is hellish. A downright fucking disaster.

Yosuke gets knocked down for the sixth time, and everyone besides him and Souji is dizzy. Of course the Shadow is literally having a walk-over.

“Damn,” Souji curses under his breath as he gets back up. “We’re never going to hit him like that! He’s knocking us down before we can attack him!”

And that’s the problem, Yosuke thinks. They don’t have any supporting items, and Souji’s already panting with exertion. Rise tries her best to encourage them to stay strong, but objectively speaking, they don’t stand a chance against their foe.

“We can’t win if we’re going like-- Uargh!”

Yosuke dodges the attack in the last split second, but Souji goes down again. He’s right, they’re not gonna make this. And it was all due to their unpreparedness.

They have to rescue Nanako. Yosuke doesn’t care what happens to Namatame to be honest, but he has to do it for her. And Souji.

Maybe he can jump back in time. Not all to the beginning - it was going all so well so far - but maybe just a day back? All they need to do is get supplies and armor. They can win this.

Without looking at Souji, Yosuke summons his card.


	4. FOUR

[Timeline 4]

It’s a bit terrifying that his jump worked out the way he intended, and it actually took him just a day back in time.

He can't waste time now.

He grabs Souji and takes him to the Shopping District. They spend a lot of money on new armor for everyone and Stimulants from Shiroku’s store. Yosuke doesn’t care about the slightly concerned look from Souji. All he wants is to get their group safely through this. And rescue Nanako.

\--

It's a major relief when they leave the TV World with Nanako in Souji's arms.

But the following weeks are agony.

With Dojima and Nanako hospitalized, Souji doesn't eat anymore. His face becomes hollow. Yosuke tries his best to cheer him up, and drops the right hints so Souji and Naoto work out who the real culprit behind this all is.

"We have to tell Dojima-san," Naoto says.

They don't. They beat Adachi's sorry ass in the TV World with their pent up anger.

Everyone is beat and returns home, happy that it's all over now. But Yosuke knows it isn't over. They haven't unraveled the truth yet.

\--

"Humans will never have a free will!"

Izanami's agenda is no news to Yosuke. Neither is her strength, and yet it surprises him still. It's not that they are not prepared; hell no, they've learned from their mistakes.

The rising darkness is familiar, too. It doesn't freak Yosuke out that much, because Souji will make it this time. He will save them.

"Are you alright?"

Souji's gaze is unfocused, his body slightly trembling. His hand in Yosuke's is cold. "I don't know..."

He's probably trying to summon Izanagi-no-Okami right now, and Yosuke just holds him while the darkness draws closer.

He's not the hero in this story. It's not his fate to rescue everyone.

Souji groans, holding his head. "I can't concentrate... There's something missing..."

Oh no.

No.

No no no--

"What?" Yosuke's voice breaks. It can't be. “What do you mean?”

Everything should work out right now! He made sure to rescue all their friends, everyone on his list, they busted the culprits, Nanako is safe - there's nothing he could've missed!

It dawns on him when he feels Souji’s lips on his. They didn’t establish a link in the Velvet Room this time. 

“I’m sorry,” Souji whispers, desperate. "Somehow I can't heed Izanagi's call..."

Yosuke's throat is dry. "T-That's okay," he says. "It's all my fault."

A familiar golden glow illuminates their faces, and Yosuke's mind is set.

"No, it's not--"

But Yosuke can't hear him anymore.


	5. five.

[Timeline 5]

"Hey, isn't that Saki-senpai over there?" Chie asks between bites.

Souji doesn't know who this Saki-senpai is. He barely knows who Chie and Yosuke are. They just dragged him, the new guy, with them, inviting (or in Chie's case: pressuring) him to eat out. He actually doesn't know where he is right now, but the food is good, and he's observing.

Chie seems to be a pretty casual type of girl, not over-all girlish, just energetic.

Yosuke seems to be an earnest guy, who knows what he wants. It's a bit intimidating.

All in all, he's happy to make some friends. He didn't anticipate to make any, not after he left his one friend behind in the city. They haven't mailed yet, and probably won't.

"Oh, is she? Whatever."

Yosuke doesn't seem to be too enthusiastic, and Chie gawks. "What? You were all over her a month ago, Yosuke! What happened?"

"Maybe I know now how she really is."

"What are you talking about? She's a kind girl!"

The brunet doesn't answer, but Souji catches the annoyance that flies over his face. Maybe he got turned down or something? Well, it's not his business. Yosuke catches Souji staring, and the latter quickly looks away.

\--

Strange happenings are completely taking over his life. There's a thing called the Midnight Channel: It only streams on midnight on rainy nights. The person you will see in the TV will be your soulmate. It gives Souji the chills.

And it's a farce.

There's a murder in town. While his uncle storms out of the house, Souji is unable to comfort his cousin, Nanako. So many questions are circling through his head, making him paralyzed.

The one who has answers knocks on his door the same night. Souji opens the door with caution, and looks into the eyes of a drenched soon-to-be friend.

"Yosuke?"

\--

He gets dragged into the big department store on the north side of town. They're standing in the electronics department, and Souji wants to ask what the heck they're doing here, when Yosuke tells him about something he discovered.

Yosuke puts his hand into the TV. Souji freaks out.

The other side is super strange, and that talking bear doesn't make it any better. The only thing that keeps him from freaking out is Yosuke's calmness about all this. Maybe he's the stoic type.

And things get even weirder. Yosuke apparently has some kind of awesome superpower which kills the gigantic Shadow-thingie that showed up.

The acceptance part is tough. Souji knows that he has abandonment issues, he KNOWS, but it's different from hugging yourself. He feels raw, vulnerable, and powerful at the same time.

He gets a Persona. His true self.

\--

"How come you didn't have a Shadow?" Souji asks his friend, who is scribbling in this notebook of his.

Yosuke's taking a lot of notes, and nobody dares to ask about what. Nobody dares to ask why he can wield different Personae in battle, or come up with new ones every week. But this time, Souji dares.

The pen stops for a moment. "I... had one."

Souji doesn't buy it. "Aha."

The pen starts writing again. Souji's seen Yosuke write a lot, but never during class. He's not taking any notes, and yet he's pretty smart. He always knows the answers, and even stands up to King Moron. Souji's envious. A little.

Yosuke stops again, looking at Souji this time. "I fought mine long before I met you."

And there's this melancholic gaze again. Souji swears that this is what gets the girls fawning all over him. And of course, Yosuke doesn't seem to be interested. It's like straight out of some anime. It's annoying as hell.

\--

And of course Yosuke becomes their leader.

"Sure, why not? You did a great job back there in Yukiko's dungeon," Chie reasons.

Souji shrugs and sighs. Yes, Yosuke did a good job back there - fighting two Shadows on the same day was tiring, but with some tactical use of skills and weaknesses, they defeated them, and rescued Yukiko.

(The victory grin on Yosuke's lips after the fight is doing something to him. Full of arrogance, and Souji has a hard time denying a certain attraction.)

\--

Souji loathes how popular Yosuke is. He's in many clubs, he's doing part-time jobs, and even dates Ebihara, the girl who has turned everyone down. He even has time to plan their regular training sessions, and buys them armor and supplies.

When Yosuke wants to hang out with him, his pride screams no, but his mouth already said yes.

\--

So it comes that Yosuke hangs around his house a lot. It’s nice having chats and dinner with him and his cousin. Sometimes his uncle joins them, asking about grades, and avoiding to tell anything case-related.

It’s a bummer, really, but what annoys Souji most is that Yosuke doesn’t seem to be interested at all. He’s their leader of the Investigation Team, how can he be so indifferent about this? Souji says nothing, because he lacks the courage. Plus, it’s Yosuke’s business.

They hang out a lot, and Yosuke slowly opens up to Souji.

“Why don’t you go after them? I mean, all the girls from our school are falling for you. You can actually choose!” Souji rants, waving about with his Steak Croquette.

Yosuke raises an eyebrow at him. “I’m not just interested in girls.”

Souji stops mid-air. “You… what?”

Taking another bite of his food, Yosuke shrugs. “It’s no big deal.”

Souji wants to say that it actually is, but maybe he’d upset Yosuke with that. And he doesn’t want to damage their fragile friendship. The awkward silence is too much for him.

“...Is it a big deal?”, Yosuke asks calmly, looking at Souji without blinking.

Shame creeps up his neck, and Souji clears his throat. “No, it’s not - some people just like… the same sex… I guess.”

Sadness flickers across Yosuke’s face. “Yeah.”

\--

The fact that Kanji’s rescue mission is dealing with THAT topic is freaking him out slightly. Everyone else rolls their eyes at him, and Souji tries to rationalize his anxiety. There’s nothing that can harm him besides nasty Shadows. His gaze falls on Yosuke who is giving Chie new boots. Yosuke swings the same way as Kanji, and he’s not a creep. It’s going to be alright.

During their fight with Kanji’s Shadow, Souji realizes that Kanji harbors the same abandonment issues as him. It makes him sad and determined to help him.

Kanji doesn’t hesitate to accept his dark side, and Souji’s glad they’ve made it. His arms hurt, and his sword weighs a ton. He’s catching his breath when he sees Yosuke grinning at Kanji. The poor guy blushes furiously.

Maybe Yosuke won’t have any time for him now.

\--

“Kanji’s a great guy,” Yosuke says. “Why are you always picking on him?”

“I’m not picking on him.” Souji averts his eyes.

Yosuke huffs. “I can’t believe it that you’re behaving like me back then…”

This piece of information catches his interest. Yosuke rarely talks about himself. “‘Back then’?” he asks and it seems to be a touchy subject. Jackpot.

“Before we met.”

And of course he doesn’t say anything anymore. Broody bastard.

““That’s it?” Souji pokes. “Come on, Yosuke! How were you back then?” he asks, because he wants to know more about their leader, about that guy that annoys and fascinates him at the same time.

Apparently, this question is funny to Yosuke. “An idiot. I was an utter idiot.” He smiles. “I knew nothing, but somehow got friends, even love. I learned a lot through the times.”

“...You sound like an old man.”

Yosuke laughs a full belly laugh, and even has to lean on Souji for support before toppling over. Souji rolls his eyes. He’s still an idiot.

\--

Souji still has the suspicion that Yosuke and Kanji are dating. They are often walking side by side, sometimes not even talking, while the girls are chatting behind them. It’s not that he stares at them, no. He’s noticing little things during their time in the TV World, the Shopping District, even during lunch break. Souji doesn’t know what to make of this.

When they have another hellish fight against two Shadows in a row, everyone is beat to the bone, and happy to leave the TV.

“You all right there, Kanji?”

And here they go again.

“'s nothing, Yosuke-senpai.” Kanji hauls up his massive desk and catches up with the others.

“I could heal you back in the TV, if it’s serious.”

Souji tries his hardest not to roll his eyes. All of them are injured, so why is he fussing over Kanji?

“Nah, I got this. Thanks.”

The girls help Rise home under Yosuke’s supervision. That leaves Souji alone with Kanji who has about the same way home. They’re walking in silence until Kanji confronts Souji with something ugly.

“Why are you always looking like you wanna punch me? If you want a fight, we can go for it.”

Souji whips his head around and stares at him. “I’m not…”

“Don’t feed me that bull. You got a problem with me?” His voice is getting louder, and Souji thinks he might attract unwanted attention.

“No, I haven’t,” Souji says meekly.

Kanji raises an eyebrow. “I dunno what’s naggin’ at you, but just don’t suppress anything. ‘s not good for you, man.”

And Souji has no clue what he’s talking about.

\--

Rise, the new addition to the team (not counting Teddie), is really cute. And of course clinging to Yosuke the second he’s got freetime. Yosuke-senpai this, Yosuke-senpai that. This time it’s grating on everyone’s nerves.

“She’s very assertive,” Yukiko mumbles, and tries to look away from Rise, who is hanging on Yosuke’s arm.

Chie chuckles. “Hah, yeah. She’s the extroverted type, I guess.”

The awkwardness doesn’t stop, though. Teddie surprised them with a human body, and the girls go shopping for some clothes for the poor boy. Souji almost laughs at the craziness of the situation. A Shadow who grew a human body in his body.

Yosuke offers him a job as a mascot, and takes him in during his stay in the outside world. (They still have to fulfill their promise to Teddie.)

\--

When there’s a new person showing up on the Midnight Channel, Souji notices Yosuke’s fidgeting. He’s mumbling to himself when he thinks nobody’s around. He fiddles with his pen a lot. At least his commands and fighting skills are steady.

Naoto is a great addition to their team. She’s smart, and her light and darkness skills are coming in handy. She’s not the most outgoing type, but quickly warms up to the other girls and Kanji (surprisingly).

Yosuke and Naoto are talking a lot during their IT meetings, and it’s hard for the others to keep up. Maybe these smart brains should figure out who the killer is.

Time flies, school goes on, and their dating café at the Culture Festival is a moderate flop. Nobody knows who actually voted for this, and Souji is the only one there next to a few sad faces that have to keep it running for the sake of the spirit of the Culture Festival. It really sucks.

\--

One day, Yosuke asks him out to accompany him to the Shopping District. It’s something he does every week, but usually, he goes alone. In the beginning they all went together to Deidara or Shiroku’s store, but their group was eight people strong, and Deidara’s shop is already too cramped with armor and weapons. (Not to mention Shiroku’s. So much junk.)

They are snacking some tofu they got from Marukyu’s, watching people on the street.

“Would you say we’re close friends?”

Souji looks at Yosuke who is staring at his food as it’s something interesting. “Where is that coming from?”

“I still don’t… I can’t say if you consider me a friend or not. You’re always so withdrawn, it’s hard to read you.”

“I consider you a friend, yes,” Souji says, and it’s easy to admit it. “You’re actually the best friend I have.”

Yosuke’s face lightens up, and it makes Souji embarrassed a little. Was it too much?

“I’m happy.” His friend gulps down the rest of his tofu. “You’re the only one who gets me - Rise doesn’t want to listen to my problems, Kanji sometimes has a hard time understanding me, and Naoto is turning everything into a debate. It’s casual with you. I like it.”

Souji’s unsure whether he should say something, or not.

“Would you believe me if I said I’m from another timeline?”

Okay, now he has to say something. “No.”

Yosuke’s laughter sounds sad. “Well, I didn’t expect you to. I’d like to show you something.” He extends his hand, looking at Souji.

When he takes his hand, the colors around him fade, and a door is being opened.

\--

“Welcome to the Velvet Room.”

Blue colors assault his eyes, and Souji feels like he’s floating. He grabs the nearest thing, which happens to be Yosuke’s arm, to ground himself somehow.

“How can I help you today?” a man with a freakishly long nose asks.

Yosuke, in control of the situation as always, looks at Souji reassuringly. “I’d like to link with him.”

The room is shaking, and Souji’s grip on Yosuke’s arm becomes stronger. What is this place?

The woman next to the man, clicks her tongue. “You do realize that this is different from before?”

“Yes. But I’m serious.”

The man stares at Yosuke for a long time, not even blinking once. Is he human? “I’m afraid your meddling with time has confused you, Magician. Your heart makes you believe that everything is just the same - and yet reality is different. Your request is beyond my abilities, I’m afraid.”

Souji tries to make sense of this, but it’s hard. Especially when your mind is getting hazy.

“Does that mean…”

The room is shaking, something’s pulling at him--

“You cannot link with someone who doesn’t harbor the same feelings as you.”

Everything goes black.

\--

Souji’s head's still spinning, and he thinks he has to vomit, when he realizes there’s something, no, someone in his lap. That someone is shaking violently, clutching Souji’s shirt hard.

“--for nothing, everything I worked for was for nothing! This was the only thing I was worried about, the only thing I couldn’t influence, because I don’t know shit about you, and I failed-- oh god, I failed-- I’m never going to make it, I won’t save anybody, no matter how many times I jump! I wanted to take matters into my own hands this time, I even made the Wild Card deal with gas station attendant this time, and I won’t defeat her… I gave it my all… and it doesn’t matter now, it doesn’t matter how well I was doing before, because I… failed…”

Yosuke stops shaking after a while, thank god. The grip loosens on his shirt. Souji doesn’t know what to say.

“...Okay, okay, I gotta do something,” Yosuke mumbles to himself, “I’ve got this. I can still fix this.”

When Yosuke looks at him, right into his eyes, Souji flinches.

“Maybe this was the wrong way to handle things. Even if I got almost everything I wanted. I will...,” Yosuke looks at Souji, but through him.

A golden light blinds his eyes, and Souji hears a silent “I love you.”


	6. SIX

[Timeline 6]

Every day he asks himself if this is it. The final time. With every success and every rescue he thinks that this is where everything works out.

Yosuke doesn’t know how many times he’s met Souji by now.

All he can think of is how many times he’s tried to make things right. How many possibilities there are. Maybe there are endless possibilities.

Maybe he can’t change the course of events.

“What are you looking so gloomy for?”

Ah, yes. He’s at the beginning again. Chie stares at him, slightly worried. Souji eyes him wearily. They are not his friends yet. (But will probably be soon.)

Yosuke smiles at that thought. “Just thinking about King Moron, that idiot.”

“Oh man, I still can’t believe we got King Moron as our homeroom teacher this year… Someone up there must really hate us…,” Chie groans.

“Is he that bad?” Souji asks tentatively.

“Oh, you can’t believe what he did last year…”

They will be his friends. In all timelines they’ve been. And as long as he has them…

\--

The orange paper is still in his pocket. All happenings and useful info are on it. It reminds him of the day Souji gave it to him - the moment Souji called him his best friend. The moment he told Yosuke he’s from the future.

He wondered back then. Where did Souji get his timetravel power? Why did he jump back in time? Was it the same reason Yosuke has now? To beat Izanami?

“Hey, Yukiko has recovered, and we all want to meet up on the roof during lunchtime. You in?” Chie beams with happiness, and it’s making Yosuke content. She’s been worrying too much as of late. He can’t help himself but feel fondness. She has opened up to him last time, and he got to know all her insecurities and values. He knows that this is what keeps her going.

“Sure.”

\--

It’s hard not to take a hand in the investigation. He’s part of the team, and he has the answers right here - but he doesn’t say it. He’s done it before, and nothing good happened from it. Yosuke leans back and observes. Sometimes help Souji out when he’s tight on money.

Everything goes surprisingly well.

Souji’s opening up to the people around him, making friends, becoming a real leader… It makes Yosuke melancholic for some reason. It has been so different the last time, sadly. But this time everything’s how it’s supposed to be.

His heart aches a little. (Maybe he falls in love with him again.)

\--

When they’re rescuing Kanji again, Yosuke marvels at Souji’s cool attitude towards it. Chie shrugs it off, and Yukiko probably didn’t notice that this is supposed to be a gay sauna. Yosuke readies himself for a tough fight. He won’t lose this fight again.

The fight is a close one, again. Yosuke doesn’t know if he should be happy they made it or angry at himself for making the same mistakes again. Nevertheless, he accepts the hand that helps him up, and nods his thanks to their leader.

During their wait for Kanji’s recovery, Souji wants to get to know him more, and it’s making Yosuke a bit giddy. He’s going to hang out with him again, just like old times. Yosuke is ready for whatever they’re going to do - going to the Shopping District, buying groceries with Nanako, or just lazing around playing videogames.

This feels like home.

\--

It’s actually Rise who points out their closeness this time. It takes Yosuke off guard.

“You two seem very close,” she smiles impishly at them.

Souji nods. “Sure, we’re best friends.”

Yosuke knows what she’s getting at, and hopes he’s not sweating. His hands feel itchy, though.

“Yeah, I figured as much…” Rise’s still smiling. “It’s just that… ah, forget about it.”

Okay, he’s really nervous right now. Rise’s hint was gargantuan - will Souji pick on? Yosuke doesn’t dare to look at him. He feels his neck heat up, and the others listening in. Please, don’t say something awkward…

But Souji just laughs. The school bell rings and everyone gathers their stuff when Souji leans in to Rise and says something to her (which Yosuke barely catches).

“Yes, we are very close. In almost every way.”

Yosuke hurries to the door, hoping nobody will see his blush.

\--

Teddie moves in with him. Yosuke whips up a far-fetched story for his parents, and Ted makes demands on the closet. They argue a lot, and Ted has a hard time understanding what he SHOULD NOT put into the microwave - all in all they work out quite well. Somehow. (Ted had to promise he’ll leave whenever Yosuke might bring someone over for a date. At least thatTed totally understood.)

Things become a little tight when they rescue Naoto, but no one becomes unconscious or gets any major bruises. Everyone did a great job, and Yosuke can’t believe how well everything's been working out so far. Encouraging back claps and reassuring smiles are shared between the IT members when they leave the TV with Naoto in tow.

Everything is coming along quite well.

\--

Yosuke is pretty sure he’s seen Margaret at the Culture Festival. Hm. Weird. He gets dragged along by Souji to look at the other classes’ presentations before attending the ever-awkward dating café. (Not before Yosuke can sign up the girls for the contest this afternoon. He knows that they will get back on him by signing him and the other boys up for the drag contest. Yosuke can’t help but chuckle to himself as he writes down the names.)

Now that he’s doing it for the probably third time, Yosuke isn’t embarrassed wearing a skirt anymore - it’s just a costume, and the whole thing is hilarious. The announcer is really into it, and the crowd is laughing their asses off when Kanji comes up the stage.

They are waiting for their cue, and Yosuke has a deja-vu; he’s been here before, at the same moment with the same feelings that bubble up in his chest while he can’t take his eyes off Souji. Something wants to break out of him, something strong, but he takes a deep breath and stifles it down. He still has time. He doesn’t have to rush anything.

\--

Yosuke can’t help himself but smile brightly when Souji asks him out on a date afterwards.

\--

They go to Aiya’s, visit the fox, go fishing, and take Nanako and Ted on field trips. It’s horribly domestic, and Yosuke can’t be any happier than he is right now. They ride their bikes to the coast, and the neighborhood town to go shopping for new CDs. Souji really wants to buy the team new outfits, but Yosuke keeps him off from spending a ridiculously large amount of money for maid and butler outfits - he buys Souji a cat strap for his phone instead.

They don’t talk about the case on their dates, and Yosuke wonders if he’s going to see Igor and Margaret again.

\--

He does.

Souji’s invited him to a sleepover, and he enters the Velvet Room by dreaming again. (It’s so different from the last time, where he could access the Velvet Room through his mind alone.)

“Welcome to the Velvet Room.”

Igor chuckles. “Ah, familiar faces. I assume you want to link your subconscious with him, yes?” he asks Souji right away.

“Yes.”

Margaret taps the cover of her book. “Are you sure? Linking your subconscious with someone else’s is not undertaken lightly. You, as a Wild Card, are capable of sharing your subconscious, and strengthening it. You will share your most inner self with him. This link will lead to an unexpected outcome.”

Souji nods. “I understand.”

Light fills the room when Igor conjures their cards out of nowhere. It’s beautiful, Yosuke thinks, and takes Souji’s hand in his, squeezing it.

\--

When he wakes slowly, Yosuke knows the link has worked - finally. Souji has met so many people already, and forged a lot of Social Links. They rescued all their friends. And made their final link.

This is it.

Everything he has worked for.

Yosuke bursts out into a happy, relieved laughter that brings tears into his eyes.

They will make it this time. They’re going to beat Izanami.

“What’s gotten into you?” Souji asks, rubbing his eyes.

But Yosuke has to take a deep breath to calm himself down. Everything is crashing down, his worries, his anxiousness, his burdens. It all dissolves into soon-to-be forgotten memories.

“I’m just… really, really happy right now.”

“...I’m glad.”

“Huh?”

Souji crawls next to him on the bed, leaning against him. “You were so tense. Like you were under a lot of stress.”

This hits a little too close to home, and Yosuke selects his answer carefully. “Well… I guess.”

“Wanna talk about it?”

Yosuke looks at him for a long moment. “Would you believe me, if I said that I’m from the future?”

“...What?”

It’s hard finding the right words, struggling with the correct answer, thinking if it’s even right to tell him. But there is so much in him, so much turmoil and exhaustion and sadness and love and hope--

“I kinda knew that this would happen, because I already lived it. A few times, actually. It’s been slightly different every time, so I couldn’t say for sure, but when we linked in the Velvet Room - and yes, I know what it is - I was so happy, and still am. I don’t take this outcome for granted, I really don’t. I’ve worked so hard for this, and still… there wasn’t a warrant that this, us, really would happen. And I am so glad it did. Because I’ve been in love with you, Souji, all the time, even when you weren’t in love with me.”

Something is lifting from his chest. Yosuke fights the tears that are welling up.

“I’ve been through many scenarios, and I had to learn the hard way that your love isn’t something that’s a given. You’re living your own life, with all the responsibilities, and - believe me, I know it’s hard being you. And somehow we ended up being here. Heh, it’s kinda funny, if you ask me.”

It takes Souji a few moments to process this.

“You’ve lived this moment already?” he asks. “Because you travelled through time?”

“Something like that. I jumped back in time. It’s like a chance to start all over. Not everything is the same, no… But it’s similar. Most of the things happening.”

“How many times did you start all over again?”

Yosuke’s voice breaks. It’s hard recollecting and assigning the memories to the correct timelines, but he knows the number of times he’s jumped. “Six times.”

“...Why?”

A simple answer. “To make sure you succeed. That you beat Izanami in the end. So you won’t die.”

Souji frowns. “You did that for me?”

“And our friends. The entire town, too, I guess?” Yosuke smiles wrily. He doesn’t want to talk about this anymore. “And for myself, of course.”

Silence settles between them, pleasant. Yosuke certainly can’t sleep anymore. He looks to Souji, who seems to have so many questions, but is afraid to ask them.

“How come you can jump through time?”

Yosuke laughs. “I got it from you. We linked, too, back then. Remember Margaret’s cryptic ‘linking your subconscious with someone else is leading to an unexpected outcome’ speech? This is the result. I got your time travel power during my… first timeline, I guess. And now you’ve got them, too. Congrats.”

Souji catches onto his sarcasm, and punches Yosuke’s shoulder. “Dick. I still appreciate it, though.”

“You better do!”

They both laugh until there’s nothing to laugh about anymore. Souji sighs contently.

“Everything’s gonna be fine.”

Yosuke nods. “Yeah.”

Because everything--

Souji looks at him, really looks at him, intently, before leaning in. The kiss is chaste, a quick peck on the corner of his mouth, laden with importance and meaning.

In this moment, Yosuke realizes what it means.

“I’m going to save you from your suffering. This is the least I can do for you.”

Yosuke wants to grab Souji’s arm, wants to hold onto something, wants to beg him to stay, but Souji looks at him with compassion in his eyes and summons his card.

His scream doesn’t reach Souji.

\--

[[Timeline 1]](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6351286/chapters/14550067)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Souji, you stupid ass-lamp. You guys could've been great together. Instead, you create a time loop. (Or has it already been a time loop? Deep questions.)
> 
> I hope it was clear, but if it wasn't, here's a small explanation: In timeline 1, Souji already knew what happened, because he came from timeline 6, and therefore he already could jump through time. The premise for every end of the timelines is that the Wildcard (Souji in timeline 1-4+6, Yosuke in timeline 5) needs all Social Links PLUS a lover's link (via Velvet Room). Too bad it didn't work in the timelines, except timeline 6... Souji, you bleeding heart, why did you jump D:


End file.
